Digital Commons Network^™

Phenotypic Analysis Of S. Aureus Strains From University Student Health Centers And Environmental Controls, Antonio Teixeira

Honors Theses

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a group of pathogenic bacterial strains resistant to a class of antibiotics that is a major cause for concern in health care systems. There is a lack of study in whether health care centers are reservoirs for these bacteria, especially within developed countries. Five environmental swab samples were collected from five different university health care centers across the region, and 16 swab samples from a general university environment. Any isolated bacterial strains collected underwent five biochemical tests (mannitol fermentation, DNase activity, oxidase activity, catalase activity, and coagulase activity) to preliminarily identify S. aureus bacteria. 24% …

Delinquency In The Caribbean: Stakeholder Perceptions Of Root Causes, Laura Nolterieke

Honors Theses

There is a gap in the research on juvenile delinquency within the Caribbean context. As countries such as St. Lucia, Guyana, St. Kitts, and Nevis have growing delinquency and crime rates, there is a need to bridge this gap in the literature. This research sought to examine the main causes of juvenile delinquency within St. Lucia, Guyana, St. Kitts, and Nevis, as described by juvenile justice stakeholders, such as probation officers, prosecutors, and judges, within their respective countries. Through the use of grounded theory, the data were coded and analyzed using a constant comparison method. From these data, six themes …

The Effects Of Emotionally Appealing Messages On Perceptions About Marine Plastic Pollution: Implications For Science Communication On Social Media Outlets, Shelby Miller

Honors Theses

Marine plastic pollution (MPP) is one of the most pressing problems in the world today with many effects on ecological, economic, and social aspects of society. Global plastic production is around 322 million tons, with 10% of the world’s plastic products entering the ocean every year. Environmental campaigns use humor and shock in order to influence consumer behavior in regard to plastic products. Such approaches are important to utilize on social media in order to effectively communicate the issues posed by MPP. In this study, students and staff at the University of New Haven campus were given a survey containing …

Hiv-1 Tat Interactions With Opioids Are Modulated By Progesterone And Estradiol, Dejun Jackson

Honors Theses

HIV infection and combined substance abuse are comorbid epidemics. Previous studies show that concurrent opioid drug use may potentiate HIV-1-mediated neurotoxicity partly via interactions with opioids. Preclinical studies suggest that the HIV-1 trans-activator of transcription (Tat), an HIV regulatory protein, can synergize with opioids to exacerbate its already neurotoxic effects. However, its interactions with clinical opioids, such as oxycodone, have yet to be elucidated. Additionally, Tat disrupts a number of systems including the dopaminergic system, which contribute to its capacity to potentiate the rewarding effects of abused drugs. Although the neurotoxic effects of Tat may be inhibited by gonadal steroids …

Country Fun: A Cultural History Of Opryland Usa, Nashville, And The Suburban South, William C. Nieman

Honors Theses

This thesis centers around the history of Opryland USA, a theme park and “musical showplace” that existed from 1972 to 1997 in the suburbs of Nashville, Tennessee. Using a variety of primary sources including park ephemera, newspaper articles, and songs, I show how, over its twenty-five years, Opryland became a country music theme park after initially presenting a seemingly diverse picture of American popular music. I reveal that, despite local businessowners’ and musicians’ reluctance to embrace Opryland at first, the park was accepted by many Nashvillians to the point where it is now nostalgically mourned. Then, putting those primary materials …

You Were There : An Exploration And Analysis Of The Filmmaking Process, Regan Emfinger

Honors Theses

This thesis explores the process of writing, shooting, and editing my short film You Were There. My process involved scriptwriting with several revisions, shooting with a cast and crew, and editing the raw footage. This paper will not only serve as a timeline leading up to the final product of the film but also will explain the function of each artistic choice. This paper will also outline the biggest lessons I learned about fictional narratives, and discuss the successes and failures of the film as a whole. I also plan on discussing how those lessons will further my academic and …

Campus Food Forest, Abigail Spangler

Honors Theses

This thesis develops a cohesive outline to carry out a food forest project on the campus of Coastal Carolina University. The project was created by drawing upon informational interviews with representatives from other universities that have implemented campus sustainable agriculture programs, coupled with a photography project, campus workshops, and a survey of the CCU community to gather data to support the future implementation of food forest project on the CCU campus. A food forest is a 7-layer system of sustainable gardening that functions year-round and mimics the ecosystem and patterns found in nature.

"You Play Like A Girl": How Alternative Conceptualizations Of Sexism Impact Attitudes Toward Women In Professional Sports, Kate Wigod

Honors Theses

This thesis examines whether alternative conceptualizations of sexism impact attitudes towards women in professional sports. Specifically, this thesis focuses on the United States Women’s National Soccer Team (USWNT), who sued their governing body in 2018 on the bases of unequal treatment and pay. The choice to focus on this particular team is because these women generate more revenue and outperform the United States Men’s National Soccer Team; two factors that are normally used to justify why female athletes should not be paid equally. To measure sexist attitudes, a survey of 74 questions was administered through Lucid and served as the …

"We Missed Our Youth": The Identity Formation Of Child Migrants, Refugees, And Jewish Children In France From 1940 To 1942, Michaela Maria Gouge Watson

Honors Theses

From 1940 – 1942, hundreds of Jewish children from Germany, Austria, Russia, and France were hidden from Nazi and Vichy French authorities in children’s homes in France. These homes were administered by the Oeuvre de Secours aux Enfants, a Jewish aid organization that assisted children in need during World War II. This study employs a quantitative content analysis of the testimonies of twenty Holocaust survivors who were hidden children in France between 1940 and 1942 to investigate to what extent the experience of outsider status and trauma affected these children’s personal and religious identity formation. The analysis finds that the …

The Book Of Twelve Accounted For Cases, Ty Craig

Honors Theses

This thesis is comprised of twelve case studies. The case studies were completed in conjunction with Professor Dickinson's ACCY 420 course. Each case is independent and has its own abstract.

A Study Of Key Accounting Principles For Financial Reporting Through Analysis Of Case Studies, Brent Austin Thomas

Honors Theses

The following thesis is a compilation of the solutions and analyses derived from twelve different case studies covering a variety of topics related to financial accounting standards in accordance with the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles as set forth by the Financial Accounting Standards Board. These case studies demonstrate how key accounting principles studied in academia are adapted into practice by businesses for financial reporting. Through the case studies, the real-world presentations of financial statements are analyzed in order to establish a knowledge of the current accounting climate and promote understanding of specific accounting topics. The case studies were completed under …

An Analysis On Applications Of Contemporary Financial Accounting Topics, Audrey M. Dames

Honors Theses

This thesis is composed of twelve independent case studies, each focusing on a different topic in financial accounting. These cases were completed over the course of a year under the instruction of Dr. Dickinson through the Honors Accountancy Independent Study course. To develop this thesis, I examined the information provided in every case study and performed independent research to analyze each unique accounting topic. In addition to independent analysis, the cases were reviewed in collaboration with other students in the Independent Study course, promoting discussion of varying opinions on contemporary accounting theories. The subject matter of the cases ranged from …

Teacher Perceptions Of Open Educational Resources In K-12 Mississippi Classrooms, Christie Forgette

Honors Theses

In this thesis, I examine K-12 teachers’ perceptions and use of open educational resources (OER) in Mississippi. I used a mixed methods approach to collect data from current teachers at one Mississippi school district. I conducted interviews with, observed, and surveyed 34 teachers at this district. I coded and analyzed the data to draw conclusions. I found that teachers were using OER as supplemental materials in this district, even if they did not know the term OER. Additionally, teachers generally found OER increased flexibility and student engagement in the classroom, especially when paired with technology, but saw several challenges to …

Methods To Detect Forgeries In Static Signatures, Jennifer Lauriello

Honors Theses

Statistical and machine learning approaches to forgery detection in offline sig- natures are attempted and evaluated. Offline signatures are static signatures found on physical media, mainly a piece of paper. A dataset of 330 signatures for 33 people is used, containing five genuine and five forged signatures for each person. The statistical analysis approach proves more successful than a machine learning approach, likely due to the size of the dataset.

Accounting Issues: An Examination Of Professional And Academic Accounting Topics Through Case Studies, Reynolds Spencer

Honors Theses

The following thesis investigates prevalent topics to the accounting profession and academia. The thesis is comprised of twelve case studies performed over the course of eight months related to problems facing the accounting profession, things to consider when entering the profession, and analysis of existing and fictitious companies. The backgrounds for case studies two, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, and twelve were provided by Cases in Financial Reporting by Michael Drake, Ellen Engel, Eric Hurst, and Mary Lea McAnally, as presented in the works cited page. Case study four’s background was provided by Dr. Brett W Cantrell. All other case …

An Analysis Of The Skill Sets Needed To Be Successful In Nonprofit Public Relations, Hannah Williamson

Honors Theses

The public relations industry is ever-changing, as it evolves to adapt to societal changes. Technological advancements and social media have largely contributed to changes in the way public relations professionals attempt to reach their target publics. In fact, research shows many public relations professionals do not think the term “public relations” will accurately define the work they will be doing in the near future. As the industry changes, the job duties of public relations professionals adapt as well.

This study researched the public relations industry to understand what skill sets professionals should possess in order to be successful. The study’s …

Y'All Like Ike: Tennessee, The Solid South, And The 1952 Presidential Election, Cameron N. Regnery

Honors Theses

This thesis examines the changing nature of politics in the American South, specifically through the 1952 presidential election in the state of Tennessee. For much of the South’s history, the region was dominated by the Democratic party, earning it the nickname the “Solid South”. Following the Civil War and Reconstruction, the South became an aggressively one-party region in which the Republican party found little electoral success and the Democratic party reigned supreme. This partisanship began showing signs of fracturing in 1948 when southern Democrats began to leave the party over racial issues. The presidency of Harry S. Truman (1945-1953) further …

“[Don’T] Give Me Your Tired, Your Poor...” A Study On The Trump Administration’S Unprecedented Reforms To The U.S. Refugee Admissions Program And Their Implications, Savannah Day

Honors Theses

From 2017 to 2020, the Trump administration cut United States refugee admissions tenfold. These reforms come unprecedented to the 40-year-old resettlement program (USRAP). By critically reviewing literature on this topic as well as conducting eight original interviews with five national nonprofits contracted by the Department of State to do refugee resettlement casework, this study sought to identify the implications of the Trump administration’s reforms to the program. Once implications were identified, I used the applied frameworks of program model as well as Michael Worth’s sociological and political science theories of American nonprofit-government relations to better inform and guide the study. …

Success And Failure Of Indigenous Social Movements: A Comparative Case Study Of Ecuador And Chile, Jenna White

Honors Theses

This thesis is a comparative case study of the social movements of the Mapuche in Chile and the fourteen indigenous tribes in Ecuador. I study their social movements by utilizing the structural strain theory of social movements. This theory states that people in society experience deprivation, the people recognize the deprivation, a solution is proposed and this ideology is diffused to the society, events occur to begin motion of the movement, the society (including government) need to be open to change, and eventually there will be mobilization of resources in order to form a successful social movement. The dependent variable …

Synthesis Of Polyethylene Glycol - Trifluoromethyl Sulfonamide And Analysis Of Its Ion-Transport Properties, Andrew Groneck

Honors Theses

This project investigates the synthetic pathway to develop a polyethylene glycol – trifluoromethyl sulfonamide compound to be used as an electrolyte in a proton exchange membrane fuel cell. The inspiration to develop a trifluoromethyl sulfonamide compound tethered to a polyethylene glycol polymer was inspired by the work of David P. Siska and D. F. Shriver in their studies of polysiloxane – trifluoromethyl sulfonamide electrolytes.

In this thesis, I have developed the synthesis of MePEG7-Trifluoromethyl sulfonamide (MePEG7-NHSO2CF3) from monomethylpolyethylene glycol (MePEG7OH). Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I was unable to complete the depronation and ion-exchange to the Li+ and H+ …

Producing Thacker Jr. A Guidebook To Production & Reflections Of A Student Director, Ava Street

Honors Theses

This narrative documents a student’s preparation and execution of the children’s music and literature program entitled, Thacker Jr. Radio Hour. The author documents and analyzes experiences over the course of two academic years preparing and producing the program. The author describes the process of production including content creation, marketing, budgeting, fundraising, and casting. The author recounts and reflects upon her experience in the role of Thacker Jr. Executive Director and her desire to create student-centric arts programming. Finally, the author evaluates the immediate impact of the program on the LOU community and predicts how her experience will shape her …

Unplanned Pregnancy In The Mississippi Delta: Causes And Implications, Julia Grant

Honors Theses

This study seeks to understand the causes and implications of the abundance of adolescent pregnancy in the region known as the Mississippi Delta, where teenage childbearing is among the highest in the nation. To do so, this study reports and analyzes twelve interviews with young, African American, single mothers conducted by the author in the summer of 2019. This study relies on a narrative approach to research and analysis and employs the theoretical framework of Afrocentrism. As a result of the interviews, the author concludes that a blatant lack of sex education in the region is a powerful influence on …

Examination Of Sleep Disturbance, Anxiety Sensitivity, And Depression In An Undergraduate Sample, Dasha Grace

Honors Theses

Sleep contributes to overall well-being, mental health, and daily functioning. Sleep disturbances negatively affect psychological, physiological, and biological processing, and the quality of sleep is similarly affected by these processes. The effects of sleep disturbance call for a greater understanding of depression and anxiety sensitivity among college students. Studies have found that sleep disturbance affects nearly 90% of the college student population. The aims of the current study were to examine: 1) types and rates of sleep disturbance among a sample of college students, 2) associations between sleep disturbance, AS, and depression symptoms, and 3) AS and depression symptoms by …

The Relationship Between Glucocorticoids And The Humoral Immune Response To Mycoplasma Gallisepticum Challenges In Eastern Bluebirds, Joshua Smith

Honors Theses

Numerous studies have examined relationships between adrenal glucocorticoids and the immune system’s ability to fight disease. The relationship can vary, with glucocorticoids having either stimulatory or inhibitory effects. The pathogenic bacterium Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) elicits an adaptive immune response in birds, in which B cells produce MG-specific antibodies to fight the infection and prevent reoccurrence. Previous research found that Eastern Bluebirds that produce the most antibodies in response to MG infection also have the highest glucocorticoid levels. This finding led to the current study investigating whether corticosterone, the primary glucocorticoid in birds, stimulates production of antibodies in response to immune …

A Study Of The Social Credit Score System And The Implications It May Have In Chinese Society, Glennis Mcwilliams

Honors Theses

This thesis examines the social credit score (SCS) system of China and the implications that it may have in Chinese society. The SCS is a revolutionary accountability system that is touted to ascertain a person’s trustworthiness of a person. An individualized score is produced by a complex algorithm which takes into account both social and financial behaviors. My research, comprised primarily from secondary qualitative data, discusses the SCS system and analyzes the political, social, and economic implications that the SCS may have on Chinese society. Conflict theory is utilized to help contextualize my findings and explain the increase in authoritative …

The Future’S So Bright: A Business Plan And Market Research Analysis Of Fraze, Elizabeth Lanford

Honors Theses

This thesis is an overview of the creation and operation of Lindy and Liz, LLC dba Fraze. Fraze is an online boutique specializing in custom, beaded sunglasses. This thesis contains details of the founding, operation, and future of the business. The following business plan will give insights to marketing strategies, target audience demographics, and sourcing procedures.

Accompanying this business plan is market research relevant to the target market of Fraze. Part I details secondary research about the effects of social media on this target market and their consumption habits. It also contains insights about the products and marketing techniques most …

Regulating Neuronal Growth With Structurally Defined Glycans, Gabriella D. Hartman

Honors Theses

Chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs) and keratan sulfate proteoglycans (KSPGs) play an important role in neural development. Aggrecan, a CSPG, operates in the neural extracellular matrix where it negatively regulates neurite outgrowth to prevent aberrant process formation. Unfortunately, this aggrecan or CSPG-rich/KSPG-rich barrier can also prevent neuronal regeneration, which contributes to the inability to repair brain and spinal cord injuries. Removal of CSPGs and KSPGs has been shown to increase neurite outgrowth. We extend these findings by testing the ability of structurally-defined glycans to outcompete aggrecan and allow neurite outgrowth. Our overall goal is to determine if there is a particular …

The Effects Of Written Stuttering Disclosure On Young Adult's Perceptions Of Children Who Stutter, Ashlee Manahan

Honors Theses

Abstract:

Purpose: This study measured between-group differences in perceived speech skills and personality characters of a 12-year-old male child who stutters (CWS) as a function of a written factual stuttering disclosure statement, delivered by a male CWS, his “mother”, and his “teacher”.

Methods: Four-hundred twenty-four college aged adults were randomly assigned to one of four groups. The groups included three experimental groups (i.e. written self-disclosure, written mother-disclosure, written teacher disclosure) and a control group (no written disclosure). Participants in the control condition viewed a brief video of a 12-year-old male who stutters. In the experimental conditions, participants viewed a brief …

More Than A Language: A Detailed Look At The English Major, Hannah Woods

Honors Theses

This thesis analyzes the perceptions of the English Major in order to come up with suggestions for the Univeristy of Mississippi English Department with the purpose of increasing enrollment in the English Program. The last decade has seen a large decrease in the number of English Majors throughout the country, and this decrease has been reflected in the University of Mississippi. This thesis looks at recent opinions of the English Major in society, including popular criticisms of the major and responces from the English community. It was found that the two main criticisms of the English Major are that graduates …

The Effects Of Insulin-Like Growth Factor-1 (Igf-1) And Insulin-Like Growth Factor Receptor (Igfr) Regulation On Cognition And Structure Of Astrocytes, Sariya Khan

Honors Theses

Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) is a neuroendocrine signaling hormone that plays an integral role in bone and tissue growth and development. Inhibition of this hormone is known to disrupt the chemistry of the brain, resulting in cognitive impairments such as those seen in many common neurodegenerative diseases. While much research has been conducted on neurons and their relation with IGF-1, the role of astrocytes still needs to be explored. Our research investigates how astrocytes are affected as a result of IGF-1 regulation. Preliminary studies in our laboratory established a connection between IGF-1 and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), and in …